Melting
by Kalira69
Summary: Zuko offers a little help to get Sokka properly relaxed.


Written for a Mousie's request from a 'the way you said 'I love you'' prompt meme.

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Zuko tugged at Sokka's light surcoat, pulling it off, and he agreeably let his lover's urging hands move him. More layers of fabric fell away under Zuko's hands, and he kissed the crook of Sokka's neck as it was bared, breathing out hot against the tense muscle.

Sokka let out a whimpery sound before he knew it was coming, shivers running through him.

Once he was stripped down to his loincloth Zuko pushed him towards the bed, and Sokka stumbled a little. Zuko caught him and steadied him, then boosted him up onto the bed, nudging him to the middle. Sokka let himself splay out there like a mouse starfish and groaned as his shoulders complained at the stretch.

Zuko's hands folded over his shoulders right where the muscles were knotted tight and squeezed, hard, heating rapidly. Sokka whimpered again, and Zuko replied with a wordless chiding noise, thumbs rubbing back and forth there. "Don't push, Sokka." he instructed quietly, and the bed shifted as he came closer, straddling Sokka's waist.

Sokka sighed, trying to _think_ specifically about relaxing. Zuko leaned down close, his body radiating more warmth than it should be but still comfortable to be near, and breathed out deliberately over Sokka's shoulders.

The heat of Zuko's breath sank into him, and Zuko's fingers curled, kneading deeply into the taut muscles. Sokka's jaw tightened against the ache of it, but that faded quickly into a dull throb under Zuko's hands as he pressed down. Zuko stroked Sokka's back up to his shoulders, following the lines of tension pulling at them.

"Just breathe." Zuko said as he raised his hands. He poured thick oil between Sokka's shoulders, the scent of rich spices rising around them as it spread and pooled on his skin. Sokka suppressed a shiver at the feel of it before Zuko's hands slid through the oil, spreading it wider and giving him a more defined sensation to focus on, now-slick hands roaming all across his back and shoulders.

Zuko squeezed at Sokka's upper arms, dragging his hands up slowly, kneading at Sokka's shoulders and then trailing down his back once more. The touch grew lighter and Zuko's callused fingertips almost tickled as they crossed over his ribs. He paused, pushing down more firmly, Sokka's chest compressing against the plush support of the bed, as he slid his hands slowly up again. Sokka keened under the pressure, back arching, the tension in his muscles giving way under Zuko's hands.

Shifting the way they were braced on Sokka's back, Zuko hummed and repeated the gesture, gentle and then almost strong enough to be harsh by turns.

"Mmm. . ." Sokka purred under the firm press of Zuko's hands, feeling like he was about to melt entirely, like he was shaped out of blubber.

Zuko smoothed a hand up and down Sokka's spine, knuckles bumping gently along each crest of bone, then flattened it, his palm radiating warmth. "Feeling good, stormlet?" he asked, his voice low and rich.

" _Mmm_. . ." Sokka said by way of affirmation, and Zuko laughed softly, warm and fond. Sokka grinned and scrubbed his face lazily against the smooth silk of the pillows. There weren't really any words left in Sokka's head, but Zuko didn't ask him for anything more, only dragged both hands down Sokka's back, fingers splaying wide.

"Good." Zuko said approvingly, bending over him and kissing between his shoulder blades. "You say _I_ need to learn how to let off tension." he said wryly, breath still warmer than usual, dry against Sokka's skin.

A part of Sokka's mind protested that - Zuko _did_ , he was awful at taking care of himself and he got all tied up in knots - but mostly he was too sleepily, lazily content to even try and argue. He moaned, wriggling weakly, and Zuko kissed his neck, hands smoothing lightly over his shoulders and down his back again.

Sokka sighed, wanting to push up into Zuko's touch but feeling too lazy to actually move.

Zuko kissed along the slope of one shoulder blade, fingers spanning his ribs, following the curves of them down around his sides. Zuko nuzzled across his back, blowing a narrow stream of warm air up Sokka's spine to the nape of his neck, where the skin was normally shielded by the whalebone plates of his necklace.

"Sokka." Zuko said softly, his voice as warm as the breath spilling from his lungs, and thick like honey.

"Mm?" Sokka shifted formlessly.

Zuko kissed him again, following the crest of his spine towards his nape, tongue stroking over skin worked hot and smooth and tingling with the oil and Zuko's hands. "I love you." he purred, slow and deep, rumbling with a purr and sinking deep into his skin with the warmth of Zuko's breath.

Sokka moaned happily, arching up into the touch of his lover's mouth. Zuko hummed, nuzzling the nape of his neck and brushing another kiss there. "Relax, stormlet." Zuko murmured, and Sokka made a sound intended to convey that if he relaxed any _more_ right now he would melt right into the mattress like so much warmed tiger seal fat. "Just let yourself go to sleep, Sokka."

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The request was for #29, 'slowly, the words dripping from your tongue like honey'. (Look me up on Tumblr, where I am Kalira9, to make a request of your own!)


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